Annie Wycliffe is a frightened woman on the run. A psychic, she’s currently making a living at an Arizona Renaissance Fair. She’s been on the run for a while now, trying to remain out of the clutches of her vicious stepfather, a man who wants her for his own. Recently, she’s been having dreams of a nameless presence, feeling his presence near her. Has her stepfather found her again, or is it the stranger she’s just met, a man who sends her emotions and libido reeling?

Etienne Deveraux is a vampire who no longer wishes to live. Then he meets Annie, the gypsy psychic, who stirs him like no other. As he tumbles headlong into love with her, he fears what will happen when she discovers what he is. But he can’t turn away from the woman who’s awakened his heart and when danger finds Annie again, he’ll do anything to protect her. Will he save her from harm? Will she even want him when she learns that he’s a vampire?

Typical of Mackenzie McKade, Dead Awakening is a deliciously sensual novella, filled with page-turning external conflict and mesmerizing characters. The electrically charged ambiance is riveting; not only with Annie’s fear of her stepfather’s return, but also of the trepidation and arousal she experiences with Etienne. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. McKade’s artistic interpretation of vampires with the result being a dark, fiercely passionate, and protective creature that dares to hope. I wholeheartedly recommend Dead Awakening.

Reviewed by: Bella